


loyal dog

by moodringz



Category: John Wick (Movies)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Pre-Canon, au where john is hired as santino's bodyguard, gianna attempting to be a good sister, mention of pet death, santino being a demon twink, santinos quest to get any emotion out of john, some background gianna/ares
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 17:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15296673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moodringz/pseuds/moodringz
Summary: "Gianna knew Santino needed something, anything to keep him safe and entertained. He was well into his 20s, but if he kept going like he had been he'd be dead by 30. So she looked, and asked around, for a new person to fill that rigorous position as his bodyguard.And she found one."John is an unrelenting, stoic man, whose godlike fighting skills earned him a very high ranking in New York's assassin world. However, when he gets hired for the bratty brother of Gianna D'Antonio, his entire world comes crashing down.For better or worse, he's stuck with Santino.





	loyal dog

John was a dog person. 

Dogs were reliant, sweet,  _loyal_. He'd owned one, once, when he was a child. When he came home from school, Daisy, his father's old hunting dog, would bark for him to come pet her. He always gave in.

When his father had to put her down, he would remind the crying 7-year-old Wick that Daisy was only a hunting hound. Nothing to get attached to.

He'd gotten over her death, of course, but his father's words still stung. 

Getting attached to things would only hurt in the end, or so said the logic embedded in his brain from that day forward. Now, as Baba Yaga, the Boogeyman's killer, John was ruthless. People looked at him as a monster, the devil, a merciless creature with no heart in sight. And that was supposed to please him.

Sometimes, it did. Other times, when he passed a pet store, or a woman walking her dogs and whistling, he wished he was normal. Daydreams of a domestic life, of a love and a purpose besides fear tactics and gun collections. But he  _was_  John Wick.

He could never truly be normal.

-

Santino, however, was a cat person. He was like one, too, as Ares would sign to him on the day of a meeting with an important Italian mobster. Out of stress and panic, he had promptly curled up in his office and refused to come out until Gianna practically dragged him into the dining hall. Not one of his proudest moments.

The D'Antonio family was scandalous, which is putting it lightly. Santino's mother was killed by an elite assassin when he was 12, when he knew nothing of the world and the responsibilities that would befall him when Gianna found out that their father had sent that man, and angrily shot their father at 16. Gianna was self-assured, and mature for her age, so she naturally took the seat at the high table like she hadn't just murdered her father in cold blood. Santino was happy to be overshadowed by his older sister for once, as he grieved for both his mother and father. She'd tried to protect him, much to his disdain. 

She knew her baby brother couldn't take all that, and she tried so hard to keep him from breaking. He loved his sister, but he had to admit that her idea of keeping him safe was locking him in their family's New York estate with a bodyguard for every occasion. And that didn't do much for his state of mind.

The bodyguards were terrible, too. Each one would end up dead after attempting to either kill Gianna or Santino. Easy mistake, he wondered why they kept on making it. The only loyal one was Ares, but she'd ended up with Gianna shortly after being hired. 

Gianna knew Santino needed something, anything to keep him safe and entertained. He was well into his 20s, but if he kept going like he had been he'd be dead by 30. So she looked, and asked around, for a new person to fill that rigorous position.

And she found one.

Cassian, her closest friend and partner besides Ares, told her about a man he knew. She'd heard the name many times in passing, a legend and a rumor. People talked of him like he was the devil, and perhaps he was. He resided at The Continental, and was looking for a new job. One of the best fighters in America, too.  _John Wick._ She'd found her man.

So she called him, and arranged a meeting.

-

"Santi, you  _have_  to come meet this man. There's no other option." Gianna tsked as she buttoned up Santino's dark navy dress shirt. He was 29, for God's sake.

"I'd rather not." He snapped back, annoyed. "Also, you're not my mother, and you don't have to button my shirts for me-"

"I don't trust you to dress yourself at the moment. And you have no choice." When she reached the top button, she grabbed his bow, and wrapped it around his neck and under his shirt collar, tying it and securing it. She smiled gently at her scowling brother when she turned him around. "There. Handsome. You better impress this man, Santi. I'm not doing all the talking for you." She smiled at him once again, and stepped out of the room to refresh her makeup.

Santino sighed. Another man, another one to disappoint and end up dead. Except, this one might actually be able to kill him. Gianna had promised he'd be better, but he didn't really believe her.

He wished he could hope.

-

When Santino saw John, he stared at Gianna with an immediate fury. This was not an entertaining man. This was a closed up, husk of an attractive man. Attractive. That was really the only nice thing he could say about him. Still, he smiled and laughed and tried to coax any emotion out of him.

He got a grin, and an awkward smile, but that was about it.

Dinner was fine. The chefs at the estate did an excellent job, as always. But all of Santino's disgruntled energy was focused on John. He didn't know  _why_  Gianna had thought this man would be a good addition to the list of people they had hired, but he had to trust her. Because, of course, he had really no choice. She'd requested he start Saturday, the day she left with Ares for Rome.

He excused himself, took a shower, and nearly banged his head against the wall. He truly had no idea how he was going to survive with this man around him 24/7.

-

"My brother can be a brat. I'm warning you." Gianna said, absolutely serious. John didn't know whether to give another forced smile, or just simply nod, so he chose the latter.

"I think I can handle him. But.. I'm a guard, not a servant, correct?" Gianna's laugh at that almost scared him.

"Think of it as a guardian. I need to keep him safe," she looked down for a moment, "but I also need to make sure he's okay. Please try to keep him sane while I'm gone. He needs someone other than his big sister." She looked up again, and smiled genuinely. 

"Can you do that?"

Something undefined was in John's scratchy tone when he replied, "I can make it." It was something that made Gianna laugh, coldly.

"Mr. Wick, killing men with pencils isn't the same as putting up with my baby brother." She quipped, sipping from her half-empty glass of obviously imported red wine.

John's demeanor shifted slightly, but not enough to satisfy her. He simply furrowed his eyebrows and reassured her he could handle Santino once again.  _A good challenge_ , Gianna thought.  _He's going to have a tough time cracking the poor unsuspecting man_.

"I'm still skeptical, but I've been told I have reason to trust you." Gianna could match wits with this man if she wanted to, but she felt the battle would go one for ages and that definitely wouldn't leave her with time to pack. So she decided to go the easy route. 

"I do have one rule, though, Mr. Wick."

"Yes?"

"Don't hurt my brother. I've had many a man attempt to kill him, and every one of those men have ended up dead on their doorsteps. I will not hesitate to slaughter you myself if you try something like that." She carefully left out the part about John very well being able to kill Santino if he wanted. Especially without her present. "I have eyes  _everywhere._ "

John's expression didn't change, and Gianna swore silently. He only nodded, and stuck out his hand.

Gianna took his calloused, rough hand in her own neatly manicured one, and shook it. She didn't smile, neither did he.

When he walked down from her elegant doorstep, down to his black mustang, she shook her head in something she almost registered as defeat. She wondered what her poor Santino was going to do to this one.

At least he'd be entertained.

**Author's Note:**

> HI I REALLY LIKE JOHN WICK 
> 
> i hope the tags arent too trashy lol


End file.
